North Korea Threatens Nuclear Strike On Australia

North Korea is talking tough.

North Korea has issued a nuclear warning to Australia, accusing the Turnbull Government of blindly toeing the US line.

According to media reports, North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency on Saturday quoted a foreign ministry spokesman alleging Foreign Minister Julie Bishop spouted "a string of rubbish against the DPRK over its entirely just steps for self-defence."

"If Australia persists in following the US moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK and remains a shock brigade of the US master, this will be a suicidal act of coming within the range of the nuclear strike of the strategic force of the DPRK," the North Korean spokesman is quoted as saying.

Bishop returned fire on Sunday saying North Korea's "threats of nuclear strikes against other nations further underlines the need for the regime to abandon its illegal nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs".

"These present a grave threat to its neighbours and if left unchecked, to the broader region including Australia," she said, according to Fairfax Media.

The spat comes after Bishop declared on Thursday that the sanctions were to send "the clearest possible message to North Korea, that its behaviour will not be tolerated, that a nuclear-armed North Korea is not acceptable to our region".

On the same day, she called on China to ramp up pressure on North Korea to stop its dangerous and illegal behaviour.

The threat of a nuclear attack comes as US Vice-President Mike Pence continues his three-day tour of Australia.

Pence on Sunday will meet with the New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian, with trade and investment opportunities expected to dominate talks.